LiverMultiscan with MRI – replacing liver biopsy

慢性肝病被称为“沉默的杀手”：它通常不会引起症状，直到为时已晚，肝脏的大部分已经被破坏，在这一点上，预期寿命很短。此外，与心脏病或癌症不同，慢性肝病在未来20年将变得更加频繁，主要是因为越来越多的人变得肥胖和糖尿病，这两种疾病会损害肝脏。因此，我们需要更好的诊断工具来及早识别肝病患者，准确地测量肝脏损伤的程度，并同时测量肝脏损伤随时间的进展以及随着治疗而改善的情况。目前，唯一可靠的诊断方法是活检，即通过插入针头获取肝组织，然后在显微镜下进行评估。肝活检有严重的局限性，不受患者欢迎，因为它可能会很痛苦，而且有严重并发症的风险。透视仪诊断公司是由牛津大学的成员创立的一家公司，他们开发了新的磁共振成像技术liverMultiscan™，可以快速、准确和安全地测量肝脏损伤的程度和程度，而不需要打针。我们相信，随着时间的推移，我们的检测可以取代肝脏活检，成为评估患者的最佳方法。我们建议将我们的原型技术开发成一种强大的诊断产品，在2-3年内常规用于患者。我们的愿景是从根本上改变肝脏疾病的诊断和治疗方式，因为我们的新成像方法将提供对肝脏的无风险、即时和准确的评估。

Chronic liver disease has been termed “the silent killer”: It usually does not cause symtoms until it is too late and most of the liver has been destroyed, at which point life expectancy is short. Furthermore, unlike heart disease or cancer, chronic liver disease will become much more frequent over the next 20 years, mainly because many more people are becoming obese and diabetic, two illnesses which damage the liver. We therefore need better diagnostic tools to recognise patients with liver disease early, to accurately measure the degree of liver damage, and measure both, the progression of liver damage over time, and its improvement with treatment. Currently, the only reliable diagnostic method is biopsy, where liver tissue is obtained by inserting a needle and is then assessed under a microscope. Liver biopsy has serious limitations, is unwelcomed by patients, as it can be painful, and there is a risk of serious complications. Perspectum Diagnostics is a company founded by members of Oxford University, who have developed new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology, LiverMultiscan™, to quickly, accurately and safely measure the degree and extent of liver damage without needles. We believe that our test could replace liver biopsy and become the best way to assess patients over time. We propose to develop our prototype technology into a robust diagnostic product, to be used routinely in patients within 2-3 years. Our vision is to fundamentally change the way liver disease is diagnosed and treated, because our new imaging method will provide risk-free, instant, and accurate assessment of the liver.